The Clearing
by LemonFlavouredGummyBearNinja
Summary: Its a story about Filch and the special woman in his life... you may think its Mrs Norris but you might be wrong well in this version of events anyway... who is the mysterious lady with the dusky hair?


**I wrote this because the most beautifully random thought popped into my head at quarter past twelve in the morning =] I hope you enjoy. It is a bit far fetched I understand that, but a funny little twist on things,. I hope. I don't own Harry potter or anything like that. I just enjoy manipulating it for my own gains =]**

**The Clearing. **

"Damn Weasley Brothers. Pesky kids they are, good for nothing but giving me a million other things to do." Filch limped around his office, grumbling to the cat. She gave him a reproachful glare.

"Don't you be looking at me like that. I never used to be like that as a kid. Damn kids. Everyone in this place thinks they're better than me just because I can't make a rabbit appear out of a top hat. I'm going to check the hoops on the quidditch pitch for mildewbugs. If you don't want to come, then fine. I'll be waiting at the usual place later." Filch grabbed a dusty vial full of a nasty, potent looking liquid and left the room in a swish of moth eaten coat tails, leaving the cat blinking in a somewhat reproachful manner at the portrait on the wall, which was chuckling to itself.

"damn old fool, talking to a cat. Hoppy in the head. Box of frogs. Fruit cake" Mrs Norris jumped down from the old desk and licked her paws, then stalked out of the room, her tail high in the air.

* * ***

"That you round there Esme?" Filch wheezed, standing up from the old log he was sitting on in a secluded part of the forbidden forest, a part of the forest he had visited so often it felt like an old, familiar friend. A woman's voice answered him.

"Argus? I'm sorry I'm late, I got stuck in another cupboard. Stupid young things." The woman whom the voice belonged to appeared in front of the trees.

She was old, in her early 60's at best and she walked with a slight stoop. She had light dusty grey hair that ran the length of her back, long like river. Her eyes had a strong amber glow and they narrowed slightly in a way that made her look cunning. Her lips were thing but I pretty pink colour and her skin was slightly wrinkled. She smiled at Filch and he embraced her, holding his hand tenderly behind her head. And breathing deeply, as if trying to inhale her very existence.

She looked at him, her face smiling but behind the eyes he saw sadness. It was a sadness that he saw every day, reflected in his mirror as he washed in the morning. He held her close to him again and softly kissed her forehead.

"How are you today, my sweet. I'm sorry for my behaviour when we last spoke." He held her by the arms and sat down with her, slowly because of his rheumatism, onto the floor. Surrounded by twilight and the beauty of the forest in spring the couple just looked at each other adoringly. In their heads, they saw the people they were 50 years ago when they first met, in this same clearing young fresh and full of vitality, her a beautiful young witch full of potential and him a shy, lonely child who felt so left out and unfairness from the world. The two opposites attracted instantly and found strengths in each other that each were surprised at.

"How did we come to this, Argus? It seems crazy that I only truly see you once a week for a few minutes. Is there nothing we can do, love?" the woman sighed and dipped her head into Filches bony shoulder. For her, it was the same muscly shoulder that had always held her head; the place where her head fitted perfectly had never changed shape. Her hair shook and looked slightly silvery with the dimming, dusky light.

"I don't know, my sweet. I hate it too. But we must endure it until the end of all this. I have to keep you safe from him, you know I promised that to your father and he was a great friend of mine." Filch sighed in resigned way and laid his hand over hers. She held onto it and gave it a gentle squeeze, which he echoed. They smiled at each other, sharing a melancholy which only they could feel and sat, silently as the sun went down.

"But Argus, I am so afraid. What if it never ends?" she sat up suddenly, and he realised that she had been silently crying. He wiped away the tear tracks from her face with his rough, weathered thumb from years of cleaning the detritus of Hogwarts students. He took both of her hands in his, the hard roughened skin encasing the softer, lighter hands.

"Listen to me Esme. What ever happens, we are together. Even though I scrub that damn castle every day of my life and endure those stupid children who have no understanding of what is just and unjust and no way of looking past the end of their nose, I do it all for you. For us. We are together, my love my sweet-" he was interrupted by a fit of hacking coughs which racked his body.

"It's too cold for you out here. We'd best go back up to the castle." Argus nodded reluctantly, his gesture matching the tone of her voice and stood up lending her a hand to get up. "As always, my love, time has flown. Remember all the time we used to spend together? In this clearing, oh we used to have such laughs. This same clearing, where we made love for the first time, all those years ago."

"Yes. How could I forget, and as well as all the times here, all the times spent on the beaches and hiking in the forests and looking for giants and broomstick racing in the Sahara? Such wonderful times, Argus. But now I am old and you are old, and there is not much we can do about it. So let us make the best of a bad situation." She smiled and hugged his thin frame around the waist.

"I used to be damn good on a broomstick. Never understood that, what with me being a Squib, and all. I love you, my dear. Despite me being a cantankerous, moody git."

"You actually used to be a lot more like the Weasley brothers than you like to make out, my dear. I'm sure it was you who gave the idea of locking people in suits of armour to Peeves! You shouldn't be so hard on them love, they are only children. And be careful, the paintings are starting to notice you talking to me and they're calling you mad again. I love you too. Same time next week, love"

"Damn Weasley kids. And I'm sorry about Peeves. Maybe if the paintings think I'm mad they might tell him and he'll leave you alone. I love you. Same time, same place, of course, pet." At this she laughed, quietly and mournfully.

The stood opposite each other and kissed lightly but firmly on the lips, both of them with silent tears tracking down their faces. And he watched with his heart heavy as she disappeared, as he saw it, into the floor. He shut his eyes so he wouldn't see the painful way in which she had to leave him. The same way, the same time every week.

He looked at the spot where she had been.

"Come along then, Esme. Back to the castle we go. And lets hope that stupid Potter boy has enough brains to kill the good for nothing that's hunting you." He hobbled towards the castle.

And, ever faithful to her lover, followed, her amber eyes glowing out of her feline face with a sadness that was only understood by the one man who knew her for who she truly was.

I do hope you liked it =] its only rough I know and it's far fetched but I thought it was a lovely sad idea!! Comment me and tell me what you thought pleeeease and I may write more. That's if you like them!

Thank you guys!!

One more personal thanks, RRY I don't know if you are subscribed to me but if you are reading this I love SARA =] hope you like this story as much as I enjoy yours =]

LFGBN

xXx


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